Saturday, December 21, 2013

Merry Christmas 2013

Dear Friends and Family,

Great Great Grandma’s Scottish
shortbread is baking again tonight and the girls are watching The Grinch Who
Stole Christmas (the original) after sledding all day.It must be just about Christmas time!We are excited to see our friends and family
this busy December full of birthdays, gotcha day and Christmas.

Claire is now seven, I know,
wow! She is doing very well. Early in the year we transitioned to a
different school, which has been a life changing decision. Life changing in the best way possible:
Claire is happy in school, learning, making friends, and when she comes home
she is excited to be a part of family life too.
Having a consistently stable place for Claire has made her open up so
much more. We are so blessed by her new
team. Last year was so hard, just not a
good fit, and we feel that our prayers have been answered. God has always had Claire in his hands and is
so faithful to make a way for us. She is
exited for this advent season; there is always something to look forward
to. We took the girls to see the
Christmas lights in the green house at Manito Park (go if you are in the Spokane
area, it’s beautiful!) When Claire
walked in she looked up and said “enchanted garden.” She tiptoed as if she would find a fairy or
elf around each corner.

Team Claire @ Step Up For Down Syndrome

September 2013

Makenna is nearly five and is
such a joy. As we unpacked the
Christmas boxes of decorations after Thanksgiving she couldn’t help but squeal,
“I love Christmas! I loves Christmas!...”
It’s so fun doing Christmas as the girls are getting older; Makenna made
her very first gingerbread house with Mom and Grammy this year. Makenna loves preschool, Kindermusik,
drawing, painting, swimming, playing with friends but most of all she loves
animals. We got a very big puppy this
year, Olive the Great Dane/Great Pyrenees and Makenna has loved helping Mommy train
her. She came with us to Puppy school
and Olive will do all of her tricks for Makenna. Currently she is saving up her quarters for a
betta fish. Makenna is also very excited
to announce that she can now swim, for real.

Makenna's first day of preschool

Alice just turned three and,
as always, is the sweetest little girl.
She loves everything mini mouse and Rapunzel. I love her imagination and total faith that
if you believe it will be. Last night I
was putting her to bed (all three girls are the most chatty at bedtime) and she
told me, while stretching her arms out like wings “when I am big like Mommy I
will have pierced ears and when I have wings like Tinkerbelle I will fly up in
the sky, outside” as she looks behind herself to check for wings. She brings a smile to our faces every
day.

Alice waited so long for this cake. It's rough watching cakes leave every day.

She knew just what she wanted.

Nate is entering his fourth
year as a Boom Operator (air refueling) with the Washington Air National Guard. He was in Guam this spring and Kyrgyzstan/Afghanistan in August and September.
Work is great but his favorite thing is just hanging out with his
girls. They love the tandem bike and
going on dates; even doing chores is fun with Dad. One of the highlights of the year was Claire
taking Captain America Dad to her school Halloween party. The kids were glued to him, they would come
poke is stuffed muscles… it was hilarious.
We have been doing foster care after taking a brake for about two years
but still no boys for Nate. Never
underestimate a man who is not ashamed to have a tea party with four little
girls, dress up included.

Green Bluff apple picking

Home coming October 2013

I have had a big, fun, busy
year starting Leitz Delights, a little hobby business making cakes and treats
from home.I love having this creative
outlet.It’s the best job ever!I started going to a bible study called BSF,
it’s all over the world using the same curriculum.It has been a huge blessing to be in the word
with some totally wonderful ladies.I am
still volunteering for PAVE (a parent advocacy group in public schools) and
Parent to Parent (a parent support group).We have met so many amazing parents through these groups and we are so grateful
for the opportunity to share our journey with them.

Welcoming home Nate

Huckleberry Ice cream @ Spokane Interstate Fair

Merry Christmas,

The Leitz Family

“He puzzled and puzzed tell
his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought
of something he hadn’t before. Maybe
Christmas he thought doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” -The Grinch How Stole Christmas By Dr.
Seuss